HOMEFRONT A Fort Hood Herald publication | March 30, 2016
Support for disabled young adults P8 | Army mom raises bar on resiliency P10
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Wednesday, March 30, 2016
[ Inside this issue ] Letters from the Homefront: Spring a time for improving
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Financial Fitness: Answers to pressing income tax questions
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Financial Fitness: Prep your phone before a storm strikes
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On the Homefront: Support for disabled young adults
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On the Homefront: Army mom raises bar on resiliency
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What’s Happening: Upcoming area events
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Dining In: Pasta salad even Julia Child will love
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Dining In: Double-strength lemon mousse brightens spring
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Vol. 9, Issue 3 | March 30, 2016 Homefront is a Fort Hood Herald publication. Contact Us Editor: Jacob Brooks | jbrooks@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7468 Reporter: JC Jones | jcjones@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7464 Contributors: Vanessa Lynch | Karin Markert Designer: M. Clare Haefner | chaefner@kdhnews.com On the cover: Chris P. mixes shea butter as a step in creating an essential oil body product Feb. 26. The line of body products created through the Infinite Possibilities program is sold at area farmer markets and vendor expos, with proceeds going back to help fund the program. Courtesy photo. Find more news at forthoodherald.com.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
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Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Spring the perfect time for pruning, improving our lives
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here is nothing like some unseasonably warm weather to make a community come alive. Even though spring is technically here, it felt like we skipped right over it and moved straight to summer, well at least for a week it did. Welcome to Texas, y’all. Either way, my family and I capitalized on the change of season and enjoyed the bright sun and balmy temperatures, before it disappeared. There is something about spring that I find so motivational. Maybe it’s the crisp air or the sight of the first blossoms of the season that invigorate a renewing spirit in my soul. I see my neighbors emerge from their homes to spruce up their yards, removing the leaves, sticks and debris that winter left behind. Aside from all the beautiful flowers — especially the wildflowers lining roadways — making their debut, my favorite site to see is families, four legged members, too, out and enjoying the sunshine, warmer temps and some quality family time.
Letters from the Homefront Vanessa Lynch
For me, spring has a twofold approach. It acts as a reminder that summer isn’t too far away and it’s time to shed those hibernating pounds and it’s also time to purge all the things I have been hoarding. The road to getting in shape is often strewn with fad diets, gimmicky products and exercise equipment that gathers clothes instead of helping you shed the pounds. Spring’s longer days and warmer weather provide the perfect motivation to break down those barriers and to finally incorporate fitness in
to our busy lives. What better time than spring to kick your fitness up a notch? You are never too old or too big to start making healthy choices. A simple walk through your neighborhood after dinner may be just what the doctor ordered. As a parent, I want to set a positive example for my children and that includes eating well balanced meals and being active. Whenever I get the chance, I lace up my sneakers, buckle the kids into the stroller and out the door we go to enjoy the fresh air. Some days the struggle is real, especially with the two little ones, but I always feel so much better and more accomplished when I stop the moaning and groaning and get moving. Exercise doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t need a gym membership, fancy equipment or trendy clothes to get started. You just have to get up and move! Call me crazy, but aside from a nice walk outside, I find donating and throwing away a bunch of stuff out to be so therapeutic. Who doesn’t love a good spring cleaning? It is an oppor-
tunity to open the windows — before it gets too hot — and make our homes clean and more efficient spaces. Before I buy something new, I have to get rid of things and one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. During this season of my life, it’s important for me to collect memories and not things. As a military wife, I know how much of a pain it is to move so often, so the less stuff we have, the smoother the process. We are constantly bombarded by advertisements telling us that we need certain things to be happy. That these things will somehow make our lives better. Our sense of self and worth has been limited to what we own for the most part, but at the end of the day, you cannot take it with you. So to that I say, dig deep into those closets and purge away. While you are in there, you may find those old sneakers. Go ahead, and dust those off and give them a spin. Vanessa Lynch is a former metro editor at the Killeen Daily Herald. An Army spouse, she and her husband live in Harker Heights with their two children.
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[ Financial Fitness ]
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Your military paycheck and the IRS: Answers to pressing tax questions Courtesy of USAA
From knowing how deployment affects filing deadlines to which types of military pay are taxable, service members face unique questions come tax time. “Service members are basically subject to the same taxes as everyone else, but there are some nuances,” said tax research analyst Alison Flores, who works for a national tax preparation firm based in Kansas City, Mo. Here are a few of the questions she hears most often from members of the military and how she answers. Is military income taxed the same as civilian income? Service members receive many types of pay, some of which are tax-exempt. For example, qualified living, moving and travel allowances are excluded from income, and so is most combat pay earned while serving in a designated combat zone, designated qualified hazardous duty area, or in an area outside the combat
zone or qualified hazardous duty area when the Defense Department certifies that such service is in direct support of military operations in a combat zone or qualified hazardous duty area, and the service member receives hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay. Combat pay contributed to a Thrift Savings Plan account is exempt from federal income tax when withdrawn. The earnings on tax-exempt traditional (non-Roth) contributions are taxable upon withdrawal. The earnings on Roth contributions made from tax-exempt pay are not taxable provided they are qualified. Some expenses, such as traveling more than 100 miles for reserve duty and money spent on uniforms, may be tax-deductible. What are the rules for selling a home? For service members who move a lot, there’s a special rule that, unlike for civilians, may enable them to exclude certain gains even if they haven’t lived in the house during the past five years.
Does being deployed have any tax implications? Filing taxes may not be a top priority during deployment. The deadline for deployed military members to take certain actions with the IRS, including filing a tax return and paying taxes, is automatically extended by at least 180 days after the later of: • The last day you are in a combat zone. • Have qualifying service outside of the combat zone. • Serve in a contingency operation (or the last day the area qualifies as a combat zone or the operation qualifies as a contingency operation). • The last day of any continuous qualified hospitalization for injury from service in the combat zone or contingency operation. • While performing qualifying service outside of the combat zone. I’m PCSing from one state to another. Do I need to change my residency for tax purposes? Your state of legal residency is generally the state where you lived when you entered the service, and
you will continue to file tax returns as a resident of that state. If you have nonmilitary income in a different state, you would generally file a nonresident tax return for that state. If your state of legal residency doesn’t collect income tax and you transfer to a state that does, you can keep your residency in the state you’re moving from. Under the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, if you are the civilian spouse of an active-duty service member and your domicile is the same as the service member’s, you can choose to keep your prior residence for tax purposes when you accompany the service member spouse, who is relocating under military orders to a new duty station in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. possession. (See IRS Pub. 570, Tax Guide for Individuals With Income From U.S. Possessions, for more information.) For other scenarios, a tax professional can guide you on which returns are required and how to file.
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[ Financial Fitness ]
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How to prepare your mobile phone before a storm strikes Courtesy of USAA
As you prepare your home and take safety precautions as severe weather approaches, don’t forget to make your mobile devices storm-ready. A natural disaster or extreme weather can disrupt communication channels. In such a chaotic situation, your smartphones and tablets can be essential to keeping in touch with family and staying updated on response and recovery efforts. USAA offers these tips to help make your mobile devices storm-ready: Create a texting phone tree. Organize a network of contacts so you can reach them quickly. In the aftermath of extreme weather or a natural disaster, texting may be the only available form of communication. Set up emergency text alerts. Access to television or radio could be limited. By setting up emergency text alerts with USAA and your local governments, you
can increase the chances of staying connected wherever you end up. Use mobile banking apps. Having easy access to your funds can save a lot of headaches in the aftermath of a storm. Download emergency service apps. Emergency service apps give you ac-
cess to important resources, such as the American Red Cross. Purchase a car phone charger and spare battery. If power is out for an extended period, your car can be a valuable source of energy for your mobile devices.
Make sure your smartphone apps are updated. Periodically check emergency-related mobile apps to make sure they’re up-to-date and functioning. Test them again when you receive news that a storm may be approaching.
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[ On the Homefront ]
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Infinite Possibilities
A support and job training program for disabled young adults ONLINE EXTRA: Watch video with this story at FORTHOODHERALD.COM. By Karin Markert Herald Correspondent
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Courtesy photo
Andrew S. and Chris P. transplant seedlings started at the Infinite Possibilities facility into dirt at a privately owned greenhouse provided for use by Infinite Possibilities’ participants Feb. 12.
ILLEEN — Working in the Copperas Cove school district four years ago, Linda Valentine and Susan Kinder saw a need to provide additional support for disabled students transitioning out of high school. At that time, Valentine was working as a substitute teacher in special education classes, while Kinder was working as a paraeducator with special needs children. “We would work with all of the special education students,” Valentine said. “As they would graduate, we would get sadder and sadder because we saw many students who would leave and had nothing to do after school finished.” She and Kinder discussed the lack of programs available to these graduating students and decided take action. Together they visited the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation to receive guidance with their business plan, hoping to create a program supporting these disabled young adults. After running the program on their own for a few years, they joined the Operation Phantom Support, a charity focused on helping military families in downtown Killeen. Working with Operation Phantom Support for the past year has provided more resources and opportunities to the program and the disabled young adults whom they serve. Known as Infinite Possibilities, the program operates out of a building on Eighth Street in Killeen. While they are very thankful for the space, Valentine points out, “It took six months to get the building up to code where we could then invite people in and utilize their services.” The program is open to military and nonmilitary families. The facility in downtown Killeen
[ On the Homefront ]
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
has been remodeled and is broken into several different areas, including space for instructional, social, dining and break rooms. “We liked the fact that it was split into two areas, so we could have classes on one side, away from the other more social areas,” Valentine said. The disabled young adults who spend time with Infinite Possibilities are exposed to a loosely structured environment. Away from their homes, they can explore different environments within their community, helping create a stronger feeling of independence. “By tapping into those different interests, they may find other passions that they didn’t even realize they had, that they can build on, increasing their quality of life,” Valentine said. Valentine and Kinder hope to have a fully functioning kitchen and provide a culinary program in the future. “Some of our young people can do a lot of stuff. It’s just that they haven’t been exposed to these opportunities,” Kinder said. Within the next five to seven years, Infinite Possibilities would like to open a café where the young adults could utilize the food they grow to serve the public. “It will be a very simple café, like soups and sandwiches, but they will be the ones working the café, and we will be the ones behind them when they need assistance,” Valentine said. “That way they can have a sense of being productive, that they have a place where they belong, that they fit in without having to confirm to someone else’s idea of normal.” She said many special needs young people who graduate from high school don’t have the capability of working in the private sector. “They need that person behind them, or that group,” Valentine said. “We will
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BUy this photo at kdhnews.com Karin Markert | Herald
The education room in the Infinite Possibilities facility at 409 N. Eighth St., Killeen, provides classroom space for disabled young adults.
provide that for them. The ones who can work out in the public, they could be working eventually at the farmer’s market. Their math skills will improve, their communication skills, their social skills will improve because they’ll be dealing with the public.”
Eying expansion
Infinite Possibilities looks forward to working with local school districts, partnering with them in the future with their transitioning students. “We’re reaching out, and it’s a slow process,” Kinder said. “We would like to get to know the transition teachers in the area. Our goal is to collaborate with the schools, and other programs in the area, too.”
Valentine adds that they would like to network with other area support programs, as well. “We should all know who’s doing what. If somebody doesn’t fit here, because we aren’t set up for medically fragile disabled adults, we should know if there’s something out there so we could refer them when if they came in to us.” Infinite Possibilities is currently supporting two young adults, with the capacity to provide services for up to 35 patrons. More staff could be added as the program expands. Before working with young adults, personnel must undergo a background check and strict training regimen. “As we build, we’ll need more volunteers. Right now, though, we need help
with fundraising,” Kinder said. Lorraine Mendoza, director of Infinite Possibilities’ gardening program explains, “We have great ideas. We were talking about a 5k run and a barbecue cook-off, which obviously entails a whole lot of organization and time to coordinate.” Mendoza adds, “We’ll do fundraisers, but right now we’re doing smaller workshops and things we can manage better.” Infinite Possibility’s next fundraiser is a spring fashion show on April 16. To learn more about supporting or utilizing the Infinite Possibilities program, go to www.mcseethepossibilities. com, email missionconnect200@gmail. com or call 240-538-1492.
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[ On the Homefront ]
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Army mom raises bar on resiliency By Staff Sgt. Leah Kilpatrick 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
Photos by Staff Sgt. Leah Kilpatrick | U.S. Army
Army mom and Boston native, Sandra Holloway hugs her son, Spc. Zachary Jozokos, a fire direction control specialist assigned to Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, during morning physical training formation on March 16 at Fort Hood. She showed up unannounced to morning PT to surprise him. After battling cancer and while still coping with heart failure, Holloway lost 226 pounds and was excited to be able to do PT with her son.
FORT HOOD — As far back as he could remember, his mother had been sick. But Spc. Zachary Jozokos got the surprise of his life when his mom — five years cancer free and 225 pounds lighter — showed up unannounced to his morning physical readiness training formation to work out with him. The Soldiers of Battery C “Centurion,” 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, were told the unit was being recognized for the support it gave to 3rd Cavalry Regiment on its recent rotation at the National Training Center. So it came as no surprise when reporters with video cameras showed up at formation and started filming. Meanwhile, Sandra Holloway, disguised as a news reporter, blended into the group of videographers. “I think he’s going to be very, very excited,” said Holloway, a Boston native. While Jozokos led the formation, Holloway put down her headphones and camera, got on the ground alongside her son, and began the bent-leg body twist exercise along with the soldiers. It wasn’t until she tapped him on the shoulder that he turned and realized the person to his right was his own mother. “I was in shock, really,” said Jozokos, a fire direction control specialist and Boston native. “I had no idea.” While he was surprised to see his mother, he was even more shocked and impressed at her ability to do the physical training, a feat she could not have accomplished just 20 months ago. “I didn’t think it would happen,” he said. “With her health when I was growing up, I didn’t think it would happen, but amazingly she’s done a turnaround.” And a turnaround it was, indeed. “I got diagnosed with breast cancer in my early 20s,” she said. “I was really young, and I battled off and on with that for quite a bit of time.” At 29, she had her daughter Kayleigh,
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and with pregnancy, she put on more than 100 pounds. Six years later, she had Zachary, and packed on another 80. Throughout Jozokos’s childhood, his mother’s illness defined his idea of what was normal. The sky was blue. Grass was green. Mom was sick. “It wasn’t easy,” he said, “but I came through it. I had other family, my grandparents, my sister.” But Holloway was a mother, even through sickness, and Jozokos picked up that same spirit of perseverance. “She always took care of us, no matter how sick she was,” he said. “Life’s got struggle. You’ve just got to keep going.” “The obesity, along with going through chemotherapy, made it very difficult,” she said. But when she finally entered remission in 2004, she started on the road to wellness when her doctors recommended she have a gastric bypass. “I lost quite a bit of weight,” she said. “But within three years, I put a good portion of it back on. I lost about 152. I put over 100 back on within two years.” Holloway said she needed to change her thought process before losing the weight.
[ On the Homefront ]
Sandra Holloway stretches before PT with her son at Fort Hood.
“It’s really not about the weight,” she said. “It’s about what to do with your head.” After another bout with cancer in her mid-40s, Holloway decided to take another stab at losing weight. “I started walking,” she said. “On a
Monday, I went out for a walk, decided to do a little jog and Tuesday afternoon, I woke up in the (Coronary Care Unit.) I don’t remember how I got there. I was diagnosed with heart failure at 45 years old, and that now will be the rest of my life.” When Jozokos joined the Army, Holloway was on oxygen and had nursing care six days a week. “It wasn’t easy, but my step-dad came into our lives about six or seven years ago,” he said. “He’s always taken care of her, and he’s done a good job. He’s a good guy, so I knew she was going to be alright.” Even with the limitations of heart failure — she can’t allow her heart rate to get above 100 beats per minute — she was determined to lose the weight. “With chemo, you can make yourself do things and there’s no repercussion,” she said. “You can’t make your heart do something it doesn’t want to do, because it will win. So it’s very frightening. But I just started to exercise a little bit more, a little bit more, walking, and I started losing weight and changing my attitude.” And that attitude adjustment saw a
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358-pound woman — a woman who just 20 months ago couldn’t walk across a room in her 900 square-foot house without help, who went from 19 medications down to five, who did it all without cardio — lose a total of 226 pounds and complete two sets of 25, four-count halfjacks with her only son during Army physical training. “Only my mother would do this, I’ll tell you that,” Jozokos said. “She’s come a long way. I’m really proud of her.” Holloway said in talking to her daughter about this visit that she recognized how hard her children’s childhood was. “I said, ‘You guys had such a hard time. I just really want to be that mom that you can be proud of, and not have to worry about anymore,’ and my daughter said, ‘Mom, I don’t know what you’re talking about. We’ve never not been proud of you.’ And I’m starting to understand that.” Even when she may have doubted herself though, deep down, Jozokos said he’s always had faith in his mother. “She’s always had the fire in her,” he said. “That’s what’s kept me going.”
[ What’s Happening ]
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Local Music
Dancing
Dirty Harry’s presents live music on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. For ages 21 and older, no cover. Dirty Harry’s is at 206 W. Veterans Memorial Blvd., Harker Heights (next to Kin Pin Tattoos). Call 254-680-6557. Stillhouse Wine Room has live music 8 p.m. to midnight every Friday and Saturday. Tuesday is Game Night. Enjoy a glass of wine or beer while playing your favorite game. Thursday Night Trivia is from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. with a relaxed version of the game. Topics include music, movies, sports, geography, animals and more. Every 10 questions someone wins a bottle of wine. Stillhouse Wine Room is at 403 E. Stan Schlueter Loop, Suite 308, Killeen. For more information, go to StillhouseWineRoom.com.
In the Mood Ballroom, 13 S. Main St., Temple, offers dance classes throughout the week. Call 254-773-7088, email itmood@vvm. com or go to inthemoodballroom.com.
Farmers Markets All-Year Pioneer Farmers Market will be open in front of Tractor Supply Company on Central Texas Expressway in Killeen from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, weather permitting. Call Virginia at 254-423-5277 or go to www.facebook.com/pioneerfarmersmarket.
Bars, Clubs Chopstick, 2600 Trimmier Road, Suite 200, Killeen has karaoke night 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. every Thursday.
Clubs, Meetings The Copperas Cove Writers Forum meets from 6 to 9 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month at 502 S. Main St., Copperas Cove (across the street from the Copperas Cove Library). The group is for amateur writers and authors. All genres accepted. Provide and receive feedbacks. Bring 5-10 printed (double-spaced) copies of your work. Please limit submission to 3,000 to 5,000. Call Mike at 254-547-2655. The Copperas Cove Bass Club meetings are held at the Lil Tex Restaurant in Copperas Cove on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. Call 254-661-9274. The Killeen Civic Art Guild has open studio
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time from 5 to 8 p.m. Mondays and offers various workshops from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays at the Killeen Arts & Activities Center, 802 N. Second St., Suite D 100. Contact Jutta Mack at jmack1@hot.rr.com, call 254-466-4040 or go to www.killeencivicartguild.org.
Festivals, Events Central Texas Homebuilders Association will host a fish fry and reverse raffle from 6 to 10 p.m. April 1. Cost: $100, Reverse Raffle includes dinner and cold beverages; $25, Fish Fry includes one dinner and cold beverages; $50, Mulligan. For tickets, contact Teri Stermer at 254-699-6964, teri@cthba.info or 445 E. Central Texas Expressway, Harker Heights. KNCT Wine Classic is from 7 to 10 p.m. April 1 at the Killeen Civic & Conference Center, 3601 S. W.S. Young Drive. Wine 101 class is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Wine tasting, $60 in advance or $70 at the door; Wine 101 class and tasting, $100 in advance or $110 at the door. The Wine Classic is a fundraising event for public radio station KNCT FM and public TVn station KNCT TV. Guests can sample domestic and imported wines and appetizers catered by
Pignetti’s Italian Restaurant. A silent auction will feature wine baskets, art, jewelry, wine refrigerator and more. Attendees must be 21 or over. Photo ID requited. For information, call 254-526-1272 or email WineClassic@KNCT.org.
Planetarium Several films are showing at the Mayborn Science Theater at Central Texas College. For the full schedule and ticket prices, go to www.starsatnight.org or call 254-5261800. Have upcoming events to include? Email events@kdhnews.com.
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[ Dining In ]
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Julia Child wouldn’t allow pasta salads. But she’d try this one. Special to The Washington Post
Julia Child was easy to please in the same way that Sir Winston Churchill was. The British statesman famously said that all he wanted was perfection; Julia just wanted food to be delicious. With that sole criterion in play, she would eat just about anything — except pasta salad. I never knew why she had such an aversion to the wildly popular dish, but her dislike was so deep that during the summer of 1995, when we filmed the PBS series “Baking With Julia” at her house in Cambridge, Mass., she gave the caterer of the day free rein with only one caveat: Pasta salad was a deal-breaker for our crew of 15 to 20. And she was good to her word. Two caterers were fired the afternoons when the forbidden dish hit the table. Not surprisingly, I can’t look at a pasta salad without thinking of Julia, and she was at the top of my mind when I put together the accompanying recipe. I don’t think of it as a salad, but there’s no doubt that it was inspired by one. This is my take on one of my favorite cold dishes: salad Niçoise. The celebrated French Riviera salad is known for its handful of iconic ingredients: olives (Niçoise, if possible); anchovies (I thought I’d get these out here early; I know they’re controversial, so I’ve made them optional); capers; green beans; tomatoes; potatoes (the pasta can stand in for these or you can add them); eggs (optional); garlic; and, most important, tuna.
DORIE GREENSPAN’S WARM FUSILLI FRENCH RIVIERA STYLE
Makes: 6 servings A true salad Niçoise has boiled potatoes and hard-cooked eggs, and there’s no reason not to add those to this pasta salad. Choose the smallest potatoes you can find — you want only 4 or 5 — and cook them, unpeeled, until tender. Once they’re cool, cut them into bite-size chunks. Cook 6 eggs, cool them, then cut into quarters. Toss the potatoes with the pasta, but keep the eggs aside and use them to top the dish. MAKE AHEAD: The beans can be cooked, cooled and refrigerated a day in advance. Once the pasta salad is assembled, it can be held at room temperature for up to 4 hours, or covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days (and served cold; if you plan to do so, the pasta salad may need more oil or salt and pepper, so taste for those). Fine sea salt 1 pound dried fusilli pasta 2 cans (5 to 6 ounces each) light tuna packed in olive oil, drained, oil reserved 8 ounces fresh or frozen/defrosted green beans, trimmed, cut into bitesize lengths and cooked until crisptender 12 pitted black olives, preferably Niçoise (if olives are large, coarsely chop) 10 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped (optional; use if your fresh tomatoes aren’t completely ripe) 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, each cut into quarters 6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (may substitute 2 spring onions) 4 flat anchovies, rinsed, dried and coarsely chopped (optional)
Dixie D. Vereen for The Washington Post
By Dorie Greenspan
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and patted dry 1 to 2 cloves garlic, sliced wafer-thin (optional; germ removed) Freshly ground black pepper 2 lemons Pinch piment d’Espelette (may substitute ground cayenne pepper) 3 tablespoons snipped dill (may substitute chopped chives or parsley) Olive oil, as needed 2 handfuls arugula, mesclun or soft lettuce, torn (optional) Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Drop in the fusilli, stir and cook according to the package directions. While the water is reaching a boil and the pasta is cooking, turn the tuna into a large serving bowl and break it up with a fork. Toss in the green beans; olives; sun-dried (as needed) and fresh tomatoes; scallions;
anchovies, if using; capers; and garlic (to taste), if using. Mix everything together and season lightly with salt and pepper. Drain the pasta, turn it into the serving bowl and add all the reserved oil from the tuna; mix to coat the pasta. Grate the zest of both lemons into the bowl; cut the fruit in half and squeeze in the juice, then add the piment d’Espelette and the dill. Toss to mix thoroughly; taste for salt, black and red pepper and oil. (If more oil is needed, use the olive oil). If you’d like, either top with the torn greens or mix them into the pasta. Serve warm, or wait until the pasta reaches room temperature. If you serve the fusilli at room temperature, it may need more oil, salt or pepper; taste for those. Nutrition per serving (based on 6): 400 calories, 22 g protein, 63 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 570 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugar.
[ Dining In ]
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Double-strength lemon mousse for dessert will brighten spring By Leah Eskin
The striver promises to give it his all. More: 110 percent. He pledges himself to effort. More: to redouble that effort. Leading us off-message, distracted by brawny syntax. Redo means do, twice. Review means view, twice. Redouble means double, once. This undercount is unfair. It’s a rebuff of “re.” It’s a wrong we vow to right. We are printing up double-sided placards in support of a quadruplestrength redouble. We plan to hoist them at the next convention of the Modern Language Association. Should that campaign fail, we’ll focus on local change — like doubling up on double-strength lemon mousse. A bowl of sunny citrus folded into soft cream bolsters household approval ratings — fourfold.
Michael Tercha | Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
LEMON MOUSSE
Prep: 30 minutes plus time to cool Cook: 5 minutes Makes: 8 servings 6 lemons (approximately) ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 4 eggs 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted 1 cup heavy cream ½ teaspoon vanilla Fresh berries
1. Squeeze: Zest 2 lemons into a large heavy saucepan. Squeeze all lemons and measure out ¾ cup juice; pour into the pan. Whisk in ¾ cup sugar, the eggs and butter. 2. Thicken: Set pan over medium heat and whisk until thick, 5-6 minutes. Press this tart lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. 3. Chill: Let cool. Cover and chill. 4. Whip: Use an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a
handheld whisk and muscle) to whip cream, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the vanilla to sturdy peaks. Pour in chilled lemon curd and whip briefly to combine. 5. Serve: This pale yellow mousse is lovely heaped into small glass bowls and topped with fresh berries. For spring holidays, I like to pile the mousse into a 2-quart glass jar, stuff the remaining space with yellow Peeps, and seal. But hey, that’s me.
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